About the Laboratory

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Laboratory of Archaeobotany and Palaeoecology (LAPE) is specialized research body of the university founded in September 2002 at the Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia as part of the Department of Botany. Since 2014 LAPE is a separate department of Faculty of Science.

Research activity of laboratory members is targeted at the area of bioarchaeology and palaeoecology, namely archaeobotany, archaeozoology, but also other specializations dealing with interaction between humans and environment in history. Bachelor, magister and doctor theses namely in botany, zoology and environmental archaeology are developed within the laboratory. In the case of environmental archaeology, laboratory closely collaborates with the Institute of Archaeology, Faculty of Philosophy. LAPE comprises research in the Czech Republic as well as abroad. LAPE also offers services for other research bodies. Besides consultancy concerning natural sciences in archaeology LAPE provides analytical work in several areas of bioarchaeology. LAPE co-edits the international journal Interdisciplinaria Archaeologica, Natural Sciences in Archaeology (IANSA).

Archaeobotany of the Neolithic tell Vrbjanska Čuka, North Macedonia

Members of school in Bay of Bones, Ohrid"

Since 2016, LAPE has been active in archaeobotanical research within excavation of the Neolithic tell Vrbjanska Čuka in Pelagonia (North Macedonia), in cooperation with Center for Prehistoric Research Skopje, Institute for Protection of Monuments and Museum Prilep and Institute for Old Slavic Culture Prilep. The locality is rich in archaeological layers from the Neolithic period, but also from Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages.

Main target of the sampling for macro- and microremains (seeds, charcoal, phytoliths and starch grains) were floors and stone artefacts of the Neolithic building 2. For three seasons, participants of Archaeobotanical summerschool (held by Faculty of Science, USB) together with Macedonian colleagues were excavating, separating soil samples and sorting the obtained material for analysis, which aims to bring an important data about subsistence strategies of the first farmers in this area.

Analysis of macroremains revealed a wide spectrum of both cultivated and wild plants, phytolith analysis confirmed processing of cereals and other manipulation with plants. Malacofauna gained by the flotation testifies the past environment. However, due to a significant contamination of the Neolithic layers by the younger strata, the preliminary results inform us about activities on the tell in a longer period of the tell existence. The analysis is still proceeding on samples from newly excavated structures and clearer Neolithic contexts. It’s complementation is planned for 2021.